memory_alphafandomcom-20200223-history
Romulan Neutral Zone
.]] .]] The Romulan Neutral Zone is an area of neutral space between the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire that was established after the end of the Earth-Romulan War. Entry by either side into the Zone constitutes an act of war. There have, however, been several breaches, most in the late 24th century. :It has also been stated that if a Federation starship is caught in the Zone, the Romulans can seize and impound the vessel, to contravene would mean war. This, however, seems to only apply to the Federation and not the Romulans, it also seems to be void in cases of a stalemate. ( ; ) After the war, at least eight Earth Outpost Stations were built on asteroids along the Zone. In 2266, four of these outposts were destroyed by a Romulan Bird-of-Prey. Commander Hansen was in command of Earth Outpost 4 until its destruction. ( ) In 2311 the Neutral Zone was reinforced and redefined in the Treaty of Algeron. Deanna Troi recalled this fact when she discussed the ''Pegasus'' Incident with Commander Riker. ( ) In 2365, the ''Enterprise''-D was ordered to investigate the Neutral Zone to solve a mystery concerning the disappearance of a string of Federation outposts. It is presumed that the outposts were decimated by the Borg due to a signature obliterative technique unique to their kind. A crew member aboard the ship, Worf, describes it: "The outpost was just not destroyed, it's as though ''some great force just scooped it off the face of the planet''". Later that year, the Enterprise-D encountered a Borg cube that presumably obliterated several other populations in uncharted space in the same fashion. ( ) In 2373, the ''Enterprise''-E was ordered to patrol the Neutral Zone during the second Borg assault on Earth, as Starfleet Command felt that Jean-Luc Picard's experience with the Borg would make him a risk during the battle to defend Earth. ( ) Before the Romulans joined the Dominion War in late 2374, the bulk of their fleet was deployed along the Neutral Zone. ( ) The [[USS Cairo|USS Cairo]] disappeared and was presumed destroyed by the Dominion near the Neutral Zone. It was believed that the Dominion ships had crossed from the Romulan side of the Zone to attack the Cairo, something they were allowed to do as per their nonaggression pact with the Romulans. ( ) In 2379, Praetor Shinzon proposed that the Neutral Zone should be abolished. This idea was set aside when Shinzon revealed his true purpose. ( ) :The date of creation as well as the exact dimensions of the Zone are unknown. The name of the war suggests that it was fought before the Federation was founded in 2161, though. Different sources suggest a width between one and several dozen light years. TOS: "Balance of Terror" suggests a width of one light year. According to dialogue from TNG: "The Enemy", 2.5 light years might be a better estimation. However, it might well be possible that the Neutral Zone differs in width at different locations. The Neutral Zone was also mentioned as a small note on a very large star chart graphic created for TNG: "Conspiracy". It was the image behind the chair in the room where Dexter Remmick was killed. See also * Systems in the Romulan Neutral Zone. External link * Category:Regions Romulan Neutral Zone Category:Cartography de:Romulanische Neutrale Zone fr:Zone Neutre Romulienne nl:Romulan Neutrale Zone